low profile, keep a

To avoid drawing attention, scrutiny, or observation to oneself. A: "I haven't seen you in a while—how are you?" B: "Oh, I'm fine, just keeping a low profile so I can finish my research by the deadline." It's hard for celebrities to keep a low profile when they go out in public.

Stay out of public notice, avoid attracting attention to oneself. For example, Until his appointment becomes official, Ted is keeping a low profile. This expression alludes to profile in the sense of "a visible contour," a usage dating from the 1600s. [Late 1900s]

COMMON If someone keeps a low profile, they avoid doing things that will make people notice them. The president continues to keep a low profile on vacation in Maine. The Home Secretary was keeping a low profile yesterday when the crime figures were announced in the House of Commons. Note: You can also say that you keep something low profile if you try to avoid attracting attention to it. They have been dating for a month and have kept everything very low profile. Note: You can also use low-profile before a noun. There is no need for the presence of any police officers. This is a low-profile event.

Avoid publicity or attention, try to be inconspicuous. The term dates from the mid-1900s. William Safire suggests it may have originated in the military, where tanks and other armored vehicles are less vulnerable when they present a low profile. Another theory is that it is a translation of the Japanese teishisei, for “low posture,” the motto for Hayato Ikeda’s cabinet of 1960–64. It is now used in a large variety of contexts, ranging from politics (as in, “Let’s keep a low profile on abortion rights”) to celebrities in various fields.